Best 'Friends' Episodes of All Time

Once upon a time in 1993, there was a NBC situation comedy about six twentysomething friends who lived in New York City and drank coffee at local beanerie. The show was called 'Insomnia Café,' the name of the hangout.

When the show debuted on September 22, 1994, the coffee shop was called Central Perk, the writers had shortened the second title of the show from 'Friends Like Us' to 'Friends,' and despite mixed reviews, the country fell in love with Joey, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Ross.

With a catchy title song, an attractive cast of mostly new faces, and amiably comic antics, 'Friends' took off. It became one of the anchors of NBC's must-see Thursday night TV. The rest, as they say, is history.

What made 'Friends' work so well was more than the situations, because there had been a bunch of shows about friends who hang out and share their lives. It was the chemistry of the six principals, the six actors who all emerged as stars and personalities viewers grew to love.

Initially, Courteney Cox was the most well-known cast member and was perceived as the lead, but she really was part of the troupe ... and she wisely adjusted her performance to fit the show.

Cox played Monica, a control freak and aspiring chef, who was the sister of unlucky-in-love paleontologist Ross, the role enveloped by David Schwimmer. Living across the hall from Monica were her two guy pals, Joey, a struggling actor and ladies' man played by Matt LeBlanc, and Chandler, a neurotic yuppie, who was perfectly essayed by Matthew Perry.

Also in the group was street singer and free spirit named Phoebe, played as a ditzy delight by Lisa Kudrow. By the end of the pilot, a sixth friend joined the group, Monica and Ross's high school friend, Rachel, who'd walked out on her wedding and was ready to stand on her own two feet ... sort of. Jennifer Aniston became a breakout star for the role and an integral part of the ensemble.

Instead of seemingly like a hodgepodge of characters, the 'Friends' clicked. The characters evolved and relationships blossomed in ways that were unpredictable and delightful. For ten years, America -- and the world -- was addicted to 'Friends.' After 236 episodes, they left the air, and they left us wanting more.

With members of 'Friends' returning to series TV, including recently entries from Matt LeBlanc on 'Episodes' and Matthew Perry's 'Mr. Sunshine' coming up, it seemed like a good time to review the best of 'Friends.'

Here are 10 episodes that stand out as some of the best 'Friends' of all time.

10. The One With the Holiday Armadillo (Season 7, Episode 10), December 14, 2000
Holiday episodes provided some of the best moments on 'Friends,' and in this one, Ross tries to teach his son Ben about Chanukah when the kid is obsessed with Santa Claus. Ross's solution is the Chanukah armadillo ... and getting Superman to light the menorah.

9. The One Where Monica Gets A Roommate (Season 1, Episode 1) September 22, 1994
Pilots are tricky, but the 'Friends' debut did a great job of presenting the characters in a dramatic way. In particular, Rachel's appearance, right from the altar and still in her wedding gown, was classic.

8. The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath (Season 8, Episode 13) January 17, 2002
Monica convinces Chandler to take a bath to relax, complete with all the accoutrements. Of course, this being 'Friends,' everyone turns up in the bathroom, much to Chandler's horror.

7. The One With Ross's New Girlfriend (Season 2, Episode 1) September 21, 1995
There was definitely big action in this episode on the Ross and Rachel front, but what makes his episode so memorable was Chandler's experience with Joey's tailor. The word "cuppage" entered the vernacular.

6. The One Where Ross and Rachel...You Know (Season 2, Episode 15) February 8, 1996
Monica finds romance with Richard, a.k.a. her parents' friend, and despite the age difference, she's smitten. At the same time, Joey and Chandler turn their apartment into the perfect man cave. Oh, and Rachel and Ross take a big step toward becoming Rachel and Ross.

5. The One After Ross Says Rachel (Season 5, Episode 1) September 24, 1998
Has there ever been a better Freudian slip than Ross saying Rachel's name during his wedding to Emily? If that wasn't enough, the out-of-nowhere romance between Chandler and Monica was a great show development.

4. The One with the Prom Video (Season 2, Episode 14) February 1, 1996
Joey gives Chandler an expensive gift to show the depth of his friendship, but Chandler can't get over the fact that it's hideous - "An eyesore from the Liberace House of Crap." But the big thing was Monica's prom video, which Rachel watches for the first time and learned that Ross had always been in love with her.

3. The One with the Embryos (Season 4, Episode 12) January 15, 1998
This should have been called "The One with the Contest." Monica and Rachel bet that they know Chandler and Joey better than Chandler and Joey know them. At stake was the fate of Monica and Rachel's apartment. Like 'Seinfeld's' "The Contest," this was classic 'Friends.'

2. The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks (Season 5, Episode 8) November 19, 1998
Thanksgiving episodes were always good on 'Friends,' but this was the best. All the flashbacks were great, but none funnier than the Ross and Chandler going to the Gellers for Thanksgiving twice. In the first, Monica's heart is broken. In the second, Chandler loses a toe. And the 'Miami Vice' reference is hilarious.

1. The One Where Everybody Finds Out (Season 5, Episode 14) February 11, 1999
Great ensemble work and a turning point episode. First, Phoebe accidentally sees Monica and Chandler "together" from the ugly naked guy's apartment and then Monica and Chandler figure out that Phoebe and Rachel know about them. The big finish, however, is the kicker when Ross moves into his new apartment and gets an eyeful the same way that Phoebe did ... and doesn't react as you expect.

We're sure that have your favorites which may or may not have made the list, so share your feelings. Which episodes were unjustly omitted or which should have missed the cut? Leave your thoughts below!

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21 Comments

So many great episodes. I love the lottery one, the halloween party, the routine, the one where ross wears leather pants, when ross whitened his teeth, when they all turn 30, football game..the list can go on and on...I love friends